Privatization: BPE Harps On Political Leadership
- To Develop Nigeria’s Infrastructure Space
BY COBHAM NSA, ABUJA – The Director General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr Alex A. Okoh says Nigeria needs visionary political leadership to successfully explore and exploit the huge and limitless opportunities in its infrastructure space.
Consequently, he said current initiatives by the Bureau are aimed at positively impacting the Nigerian economy in areas of infrastructure development; employment creation; and human capital development.
Addressing members of the House of Representatives Committee on Privatisation that visited the Bureau on oversight mission, Okoh said focused political leadership will aid the country’s desire to make its infrastructure space a gold mine and major driver of socio-economic growth and development on a sustainable basis.
He told the parliamentarians led by led by the Committee’s Chairman, Mr. Victor Kolade Akinjo that the Bureau was shifting focus and strategy to reforms, and other public private partnership initiative to address the huge infrastructural deficit in the country.
According to him, the Bureau has, over the years, carried out reforms with appreciable success in the pension industry; the Ports; and the telecoms sector that is today witnessing improved teledensity.
On the Ports reforms, Okoh said BPE had succeeded in providing above 25, 000 additional jobs to Nigerians as a result of the privatization exercise.
He added that to mitigate transactions’ risks going forward in year 2020, the Bureau has introduced risk management strategies in all proposed privatisation deals as part of measures to improve on its mandate delivery.
In his remarks, the House Committee Chairman on Privatisation, Mr Victor Kolade Akinjo expressed satisfaction with the reforms carried out by BPE over the years and pledged the lawmakers’ support for the growth and economic development of the nation.
He said the oversight visit was to interface with BPE and keep the Committee members abreast with its reforms and privatisation processes.
A statement by Amina Tukur Othman, BPE’s Head of Public Communications, also quoted Mr Akinjo as expressing the need for amendment to the Public Enterprises privatisation and commercialisation Act to reflect current realities.
